Food, Water, and the World

1.5 Credits · Level: Graduate

Everyone knows water and food are essential for life. But food and water also play fundamental, if often underappreciated, roles in the political stability of individual states and the functioning of the international system. In this class we will examine some of the ways in which food and water are connected to domestic and international affairs, how our food and water environment is changing, and some of the insights needed to find solutions to key food and water challenges. Learning objectives By the end, students will be able to answer questions such as: 1) Can the world produce enough food? Is producing enough food enough? 2) What are the implications of a ‘multiple breadbasket failure” and why is the risk of one happening increasing? 3) What does climate science have to say about the future of water and food supply? 4) Why won’t the wars of the 21st century be over water, but why will water will be part of wars? 5) What is the 4th Agricultural Revolution, how will it fundamentally transform our ability to grow food and why, despite this, won’t it solve global hunger? 6) How are Qatar’s food and water security challenges and solutions unique? 7) How can you see all of international politics in a grain of rice?